


First Scares!

by Cielestine_de_Winter



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: DadBats!, Dick Grayson is Robin, Fluff and Crack, Gen, fear toxin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-08-28 07:42:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8437123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cielestine_de_Winter/pseuds/Cielestine_de_Winter
Summary: Robin's first exposure to Scarecrow's fear toxin is as bad as Batman told him it would be.  Maybe even worse.  But Robin can handle it.  
Happy Halloween!





	

Robin could feel the pounding of the bass in his teeth even before he was fully conscious. The sound was muffled, but it was still mind meltingly loud. Robin opened his eyes and was quickly blinded by a bright strobe light that flashed in an erratic and vaguely nauseating rhythm. It took him a few seconds to make sense of the situation he found himself in. 

Robin was hanging from his manacled wrists in what seemed like a good sized rectangular garage. There was something heavy that covered his head tightly, a gas mask of some kind that made breathing difficult and muted the sound. Robin looked down and saw a thick white gas that obscured his feet and ankles. The lights and the noise were disorienting and made him feel sick. 

Robin took a calming breath. In the handful of missions that Batman had let him help on, he had never been captured before. Robin twitched with anxiety, unsure if his Robin mask was still in place underneath the gas mask. Robin pushed that thought out of his head and focused on getting free. He grabbed the chain holding him in his hands and folded up so that he could see the manacles. He wrapped his legs around the chain, freeing up his fingers. 

Thick, three inch metal cuffs tapped over with silver duct tape to prevent lock picks. Great. 

Robin tried to dislodge the mask he was wearing with his arms, but found that it was secured tightly. He shook a lock pick out of his gauntlet and started scrapping the tape away from the key hole. 

Just as he cleaned the tape away from the keyholes, a door at one end of the garage slammed open. Robin breathed a sigh of relief when he caught sight of Batman, but then froze and watched as the tall man lurched toward him. The white gas swirled around him as he made his way in the room. 

Robin swung his legs down. His movement caught Batman’s attention and the man came tearing at Robin screaming. Batman crashed into Robin, pounding his fist into Robin’s midsection. Robin wailed in agony. 

“What are you?” thundered Batman above the heavy bass. 

Through his pain, Robin had a moment of clarity. The lights and noise. The gas. Fear Toxin. Get free, ventilate the room, get antidote, Robin prioritized. 

Robin wrapped his legs on Batman’s shoulders as he shook another lock pick out of his gauntlet. His hands shook as Batman pounded on his legs. Robin was able to free one hand when Batman jerked him away. Robin almost blacked out as his shoulder was yanked out of its socket. He managed to pick the remaining manacle swiftly. He secured his legs tightly around Batman’s neck and fell back so that he was hanging upside down against Batman’s back. With his good arm, Robin dug through Batman’s utility belt and grabbed two batarangs. As he flipped off Batman he threw the batarangs at the large bay door. They detonated as Robin hit the floor. 

The gas started dispersing through the large hole in the bay door. Robin reached up and tried to take the gas mask off, but Batman rushed him again, kicking him viciously in his side, sending him rolling several feet away. Robin launched himself at Batman, intent on getting the toxin antidote out of Batman’s utility belt. He connected with Batman, but Batman grabbed his injured shoulder with his right hand a squeezed tightly, causing tears to flow down Robin’s face. He jerked away from Batman and fell to the ground. 

Batman stomped on Robin’s dislocated shoulder and Robin screamed. He forced himself to roll away and opened his good hand. The small injectable needle was undamaged. Robin didn’t allow himself to think. He leapt up on to Batman’s shoulders and jabbed the needle in the seam of Batman’s armor. He grabbed another batarang off Batman’s belt. 

Batman roared and threw Robin down. He stomped after the boy as Robin scurried away, praying that the antidote would do it’s job quickly. Using his good arm, Robin took hold of the back of the gas mask and pulled it off. He gasped for air when Batman kicked him again. 

“B! It’s me! It’s Robin!” Robin shouted. His voice couldn’t be heard over the music, so Robin flipped away and threw the batarang at the large speaker tucked away in the corner. The speaker exploded and the garage was quiet. 

Batman made an inhuman growl and grabbed Robin by the throat with both hands. Robin tried to pry Batman’s hands off his throat, gasping for breath as Batman squeezed tightly. 

“It’s me!” Robin’s vision was dimming. “It’s Robin.” 

The pressure on his throat suddenly loosened. “Robin?” Batman’s gravely voice sounded wrecked. He quickly lowered Robin to the ground. 

Robin’s legs couldn’t hold him up and he sunk down. “B,” he rasped. “You’re alright. You’re fine. It’s okay.” 

Batman sunk to his knees in front of the child, the nightmare before him worse than the phantasms created by the fear toxin. “Robin!” 

Robin sagged against Batman’s chest. “I’m fine.” He coughed violently for a few minutes, clutching Batman with his good hand. Batman wrapped his arms carefully around the ten year old boy, feeling him out for injuries. 

Robin’s breathing hitched when Batman touched his shoulder. “I have to set this,” Batman said gingerly. 

“Yea, okay,” Robin braced himself. He cried out as Batman twisted it back into joint. Robin closed his eyes and panted against Batman’s chest. 

“I have to get you back to the cave,” Batman wrapped his arms around Robin as gently as he could and picked him up. 

Robin ground his teeth against the pain, tears and dirt making tracks down his face. Batman sprinted to the Batmobile and placed Robin into the passenger seat. He quickly climbed in and started speeding toward the Batcave. 

“This might be my new best reason why a life of crime isn’t for me,” Robin croaked after a minute. “You’re scary.” 

“Don’t talk, Robin. Your throat is swelling.” Batman’s voice was clipped, but Robin was starting to speak Batmanese and could hear the self loathing in his voice. 

“I’m fine, B. But you know I’m going try to guilt you into having some ice cream with me, right?” 

Batman glanced over at him. The boy was terribly pale in the dim light of the car’s interior. “This isn’t a joke, Robin. I could have killed you.” 

“But you didn’t,” Robin said firmly. 

Batman was quiet for a few minutes. “He put a gas mask on you.” He took a breath. “He wanted the last thing you saw was me attacking you like an animal.” 

“Yea, well, he’s obviously a demented lunatic. I don’t think you should beat yourself up over it. We’ll get him.” 

“You are being remarkably calm about this,” Batman observed after a long silence. 

“Only because you’re being remarkably angsty about it. We’re partners. We’re supposed to even each other out.” 

“And if I wasn’t being angsty?” 

“I’d probably be whimpering in pain. You definitely pull your punches when we spar.” 

“Of course I pull my punches when we spar. You’re 10 years old.” 

“I’m sure my age will be a major consideration for the next cracked out nutbag or insane meta who has a grievance with me.” 

“How did Crane capture you?” 

“There was a woman with a baby walking toward the warehouse. I jumped down to warn her off not realizing she was part of his group. Seriously. Who brings a baby to an arms deal?” 

“You know we live in Gotham, right?” Batman’s lip curled slightly. 

“You’re right. That’s considered model parenting here.” 

Batman pulled into the Batcave and quickly parked. “Stay in the car, I’ll come over and get you.” 

“I’m pretty sure I can walk.” 

“I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t.” Batman quickly jumped out of the car and went to get Robin. 

“Had worse,” Robin said through clenched teeth as Batman carefully picked him up. 

Batman caught Alfred’s eye as he carried Robin to the examination bed in one corner of the Batcave. Alfred put down the tray he had been carrying and readied the MRI. 

“Hey, Alfred. Nice night?” Robin hissed as he tried to take off his armor with one hand. 

Alfred and Batman pushed Robin’s hand away and quickly divested him of the Kevlar armor. “Yes, Master Dick. I see your night was eventful,” Alfred said evenly. Robin’s body was covered with rapidly swelling bruises. Alfred and Batman stepped away as Robin’s body was scanned. 

“Just keeping B out of trouble.” Robin quipped. 

“Cracked rib,” Batman said softly. 

“Two,” Alfred disagreed pointing to the faint shadow on the rib next to it. 

“Bandage or brace?” 

“Bandage?” Robin said hopefully. 

“Brace,” Alfred and Batman said together. 

“And one for his shoulder,” Alfred said turning and gathering supplies. 

Robin sighed. 

Batman brooded as he watched Alfred put the braces on Dick’s ribs and shoulder. He felt sick that he was the cause of Dick’s pain. Dick didn’t make a sound, but he blinked rapidly a few times in an attempt to keep the tears that welled up in his eyes from falling. Batman walked over to the medical supplies and pulled out some pain killers. He grabbed a bottle of water and walked back over to Dick just as Alfred was finishing up. He held out his hand and the water. 

“Is this your way of trying to get out of having ice cream with me?” Dick asked, obviously not impressed. 

“I know you must be in agony,” Batman said shortly. 

Dick raised his eyebrow. 

“Chocolate, Master Dick?” Alfred asked, his amusement in his voice. Dick smiled. “And what flavor would you like Master Bruce?” 

“Butter rum,” Batman sighed. “If we have it. If not, chocolate’s fine.” Alfred disappeared up the steps to get the ice cream. 

Dick took hold of the water bottle and held his hands out for the two pills. Batman pushed off his cowl then stepped closer and gently took Dick’s face mask off him. 

“Are you okay?” Bruce asked softly. 

Dick carefully leaned forward until his forehead was resting on Bruce’s Kevlar covered chest. “I’ll be fine,” Dick took a breath and closed his eyes. 

Bruce put his arms around him and pulled him into an easy hug. “I know.” 


End file.
